Madeleine Thien’s stunning new novel, Do Not Say We Have Nothing, catapults its narrator from Vancouver to China and a world of music, the Cultural Revolution, and the lead up to the Tiananmen Square demonstrations. What does Thien’s novel tell us about history? Currently in the 150th year since Confederation, how has Canada’s national and literary […]
Far more Canadians live in cities rather than rural areas today. Major centres continue to grow rapidly, dominating our lives and encountering many challenges. Vancouver has one of the lowest vacancy rates in Canada and is one of the most expensive places to live. The city has been hit hard by the homelessness and now […]
Many First Nations and other communities on BC’s coast strongly oppose the Kinder Morgan Trans Mountain pipeline expansion project. The new BC government has just been granted intervener status to support a combination of nineteen lawsuits to be heard this fall against the project. Karen Campbell – a lawyer and the Climate Change Program Director at Ecojustice […]
A war on science is underway in the United States, where President Donald Trump has fired government scientists, rolled back environmental protections, and withdrawn from the Paris Climate Agreement. Nancy Baron, one of the most influential defenders of science in the United States, provides a superb start to the Salt Spring Forum’s fall speaker series. […]
We are living in difficult – what many call ‘historic’ – times. Globally, humans face serious collective challenges including political turmoil, polarization of beliefs, and climate change. Can humanity learn from history to effectively address the problems we face today? To help us answer this question, world-renowned historian Margaret MacMillan will join the Salt Spring […]
Long before the days of the Food Network, Graham Kerr leapt into the 1970s with his exuberant cooking show The Galloping Gourmet. Now an expert in nutrition, healthy eating and the locavore movement, Graham Kerr joins the Salt Spring Forum for a wide-ranging conversation about all things food-related. Kerr is an internationally renowned television personality […]
We live in unsettling times, when a climate crisis looms and Donald Trump rules. Is philosophy relevant to our daily lives—and if so, how? From politics to architecture, fishing to pop culture—no subject is off limits for Mark Kingwell, a public intellectual who uses philosophy to gain insights into human behaviour. A professor of philosophy […]
Although scientists long ago settled on the conclusion that human activities are causing climate change through the emission of greenhouse gases, a small but vocal number of dissenters remain unswayed by the evidence. What causes people to reject scientific evidence? What contributes to climate change denial and to conspiracy theories in general? To help us […]
Government agencies and departments hold an increasing amount of your electronic information. So too do private companies. Who exactly has access to your information, and within what limits? What is the state of Canadian law regarding surveillance and data-sharing? Are our privacy laws out of date? What can we do to protect ourselves? To help […]
With missile tests and nuclear threats, how dangerous is North Korea and, for that matter, Donald Trump? Are sanctions against North Korea having any effect? What might China and Russia do if the crisis worsens? To help us understand the North Korea crisis and much more, the Salt Spring Forum is delighted to host Alex […]
What will legal pot mean for you? The legalization of cannabis in Canada is fast approaching. Why has the legalization of cannabis become so complicated? Will the pot counterculture be erased by a multi-billion dollar corporate industry? Will legalization for adults end up punishing youth? Victoria-based lawyer Kirk Tousaw – who is a major force […]
What compelled BC writer Kate Harris and her friend to embark on an epic journey, cycling over ten thousand kilometers of the Silk Road – the ancient network of trade routes linking Asia with the Middle East and Europe? What pushes some of us out to explore world – and what is behind this desire? […]
Overfishing, oil spills, plastics, climate change – our oceans are in big trouble. How can we restore their health? John Nightingale has led the Vancouver Aquarium for more than two decades. He joins the Salt Spring Forum in a deep-reaching conversation about the oceans – and how we can transform our relationship to them. No […]
Artificial intelligence (AI) has become an everyday part of our lives—without most of us even realizing it. From ATMs to Siri to algorithms that influence content on our Facebook feeds or Google searches, AI is spreading quickly. What biases might AI have, and how might they affect us? How many jobs will be lost due […]
BUY TICKETS In a time of profound climate change, how can we understand the complex dynamics and the human-caused disturbances that affect them so dramatically today? SFU climate scientist Kirsten Zickfeld is a leading researcher in this field, and was the lead author on the IPCC report on climate change in 2018. She will be […]
This event, due to take place at ArtSpring, 7.30pm on Friday March 13, has been CLOSED TO THE PUBLIC. The discussion will now be ON VIDEO ONLY and available on www.saltspringforum.com from Saturday March 14. Please see full statement below: A CHANGE OF PLANS A week ago, when concern over the spread of the COVID-19 virus was mounting, we at the […]
Salt Spring Forum: Earthquake! What We Need to Know if and When the Big One Hits BC BUY TICKETS Dr. John Cassidy will lead our discussion on earthquakes and what living in one of the most seismically active regions in Canada, a place where some of the largest earthquakes have historically occurred, could mean for […]
Jon Kimura Parker needs little introduction. His journey from growing up in Vancouver to performing as a classical pianist in the great concert halls of the world is well documented. He is well known for his dynamic performances and for his passion and enthusiasm for classical music, taking on roles advising and directing numerous festivals […]